By Zephyria 
【Amidst the unclear whereabouts of Park Eon-soo, who escaped after being arrested on charges of murder and aggravated assault for over ten days, an article was published today suggesting he may have illegally entered the country. In response, the police stated they could not disclose detailed investigation information but confirmed they had requested cooperation from Interpol. Furthermore, judging that Park Eon-soo’s escape is likely to be prolonged, they conveyed that citizen reports would be a great help.】
The news screen showed a video of a man presumed to be Park Eon-soo, captured by a black box near the harbor. Although his face was completely covered, his clothes were the same as those he wore when he escaped, and his height, build, and even gait were similar, leading the police to believe there was a high probability it was Park Eon-soo.
Team Leader Oh, who was watching the news, pressed the remote to turn it off, and the gathered team members dispersed. Amidst the general commotion, Team 1 mostly wore gloomy expressions, because Team leader Nam, who was in charge of escorting Park Eon-soo at the time, had submitted his resignation, taking responsibility.
Jeong Nam-su came next to Lee-eum and lowered his voice as much as possible.
“Isn’t Team leader Nam being too much? He’s irresponsibly submitting his resignation in the middle of an investigation. What are the rest of the team members supposed to do?”
While Lee-eum somewhat agreed with Nam-soo’s words, he also thought that the pressure must have been intense, as articles blaming the police’s carelessness were being released in the media.
On the other hand, there were some somewhat puzzling aspects when Lee-eum thought about Team leader Nam. Unlike Team Leader Oh, he was well-built, had a strong competitive spirit, and had mastered almost every sport. It didn’t make sense that such a person would have carelessly stored his firearm and been unable to do anything while the criminal escaped. °
Then, Lee-eum grabbed his car keys and wallet to leave for lunch. “I’ll be out for a bit.”
“What about lunch?”
“I’ll eat out.”
It was hot outside. Thanks to the non-stop rain, the sky was blue and cloudless. Lee-eum, heading to the hospital by car, briefly parked on the roadside and hurried into a nearby fruit store.
“Welcome.”
“Do you do fruit baskets?”
“Yes, we do. Who are you giving it to?”
How should he explain his relationship with Madam Lee? He blurted out that he was visiting a friend’s mother in the hospital, and the fruit store owner immediately packed fresh fruit, wrapped it up, and even tied a pretty ribbon.
After loading the basket into the car, Lee-eum arrived at the hospital and parked. In the distance, a tall man strode towards him. After turning off the engine, Lee-eum took the basket next to him and got out.
“You’re here? What’s that?”
“I couldn’t come empty-handed.”
Choi Won-joon took the basket and held out his hand. “Let’s go.” Lee-eum couldn’t bring himself to take his hand and walked a little away from him. He was at the hospital today to visit Choi Won-joon’s mother.
His mother wanted to see Lee-eum and had asked if he could visit. At first, he was taken aback, but thinking about it, he thought he could at least pay a visit, so he changed his mind. But now that he was about to see Choi Won-joon’s father, he felt nervous. Should he have dressed up a bit?
“Is my outfit a bit off?”
“It’s okay. No one will notice your clothes because of your face.”
Choi Won-joon often mentioned Lee-eum’s face and constantly touched it when they were together. Does he like me because of my face? He was curious, but too embarrassed to ask directly.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing…”
“Oh, I saw the news. Park Eon-soo fled overseas, they say.”
“It’s not confirmed.”
There was a witness, and a captain who said he had taken him halfway across the sea had also come forward. The appearance and clothes they described matched Park Eon-soo, so the police were shifting the focus of their investigation towards the possibility that he had stowed away.
They arrived at the hospital room, and the staff member guarding the front opened the sliding door. There was a living room, and further inside, the bedroom finally came into view. “Hello,” Lee-eum said, and Madam Lee’s face lit up. She was said to be sick, but she was as beautiful and elegant as ever.
“Oh my goodness. Who is this? Detective Kim, welcome.”
As she tried to get up, Chairman Choi stopped her. “Didn’t the doctor tell you to rest? Please stay still.” He was anxious that his wife might get hurt.
“How are you feeling?”
Madam Lee finally sat up and smiled brightly.
“I’m perfectly fine.”
Chairman Choi interjected with a displeased expression.
“You collapsed and lost consciousness, how can you be fine?”
“Why are you making me sound like I’m sick when it was just because of dieting?”
“That’s why I’ve repeatedly told you to do it in moderation. Where do you even need to lose weight?”
Choi Won-joon said she was sick, but Lee-eum never imagined it was because of dieting. Looking back, he was feigning ignorance. He guessed that he hadn’t mentioned it on purpose, though he didn’t know why. The couple bickered, and in the midst of it, Madam Lee retorted.
“How many times do I have to say it? I told you I wanted to wear a beautiful Hanbok at Won-joon’s wedding.”
Huh? Choi Won-joon is getting married? That was the first time Lee-eum had heard of it. Was it some kind of arranged marriage? It was a brief moment, but Lee-eum felt betrayed, while Choi Won-joon’s expression remained indifferent.
“You know I don’t look good in Hanbok. Detective Kim’s mother is a great beauty, and I don’t want to be compared to her. You really don’t understand women’s hearts.”
My mom? Why would my mom be at Choi Won-joon’s wedding?
Could it be…?
Lee-eum couldn’t hide his confusion. He had never given his permission, nor had he ever imagined marrying Choi Won-joon. He had been thinking more seriously about their relationship than before, but the sudden mention of marriage only bewildered him.
“Madam… I’m sorry, but I have no intention of marrying CEO Choi,”
Ah, Madam Lee touched her forehead and collapsed to the side, and Chairman Choi’s face turned pale as he called for medical staff. Several medical staff members entered and busily checked her condition and adjusted the equipment.
Her pulse and blood pressure seemed normal, but everyone’s expressions were tense. After a while, the medical staff left, and Madam Lee brushed her fallen hair aside and let out a soft breath.
“I’m sorry. The doctor said I shouldn’t be shocked…”
Lee-eum opened and closed his mouth. Was the fact that he had no intention of getting married such a shock? Afraid that she might collapse again, he held back his words and looked at Choi Won-joon. Don’t just stand there watching, come here and fix this. Why don’t you explain properly?
Choi Won-joon shrugged with a sly expression, and Lee-eum mouthed, “Come here before I kill you.” As if he understood, Choi Won-joon came behind Lee-eum and gently placed his hand on his shoulder.
“We’ll discuss the date and set it. Don’t worry.”
He should be denying it, why is he setting a date? Lee-eum cursed with his eyes, and Choi Won-joon smiled shamelessly. Chairman Choi looked displeased but didn’t push as hard as before. Only ten minutes had passed since he entered the hospital room, but he felt like his energy was being drained away.
“Detective Kim. How much longer do I have to live? I just want to find a good match for our Won-joon before I go.”
“Why are you saying such things?”
“You never know what will happen. The thought of our Won-joon growing old without a partner breaks my heart. I’d feel relieved if someone as reliable and dependable as Detective Kim were by his side…”
“……”
“I’m not asking you to decide right away, just think about it. Take it easy, don’t feel pressured.”
She had been pressuring him all along, and now she was telling him not to feel pressured, which made him feel even more pressured. After exchanging a few more words, he said goodbye and left, feeling more exhausted than when he was running around catching criminals. Choi Won-joon massaged his drooping shoulders.
“Are you tired? Do you want to go to a nearby hotel and rest for a bit?”
Lee-eum glared at Choi Won-joon and poked him in the side.
“I thought your mother was sick. I thought she had some kind of disease.”
“She got sick because she wants to marry me off, so it’s not a lie.”
Never mind. Just never mind. As they bickered and walked out of the hospital, he heard someone calling, “Oppa,” from behind. When he turned around, a woman approached and lightly kissed Choi Won-joon on the cheek, and Lee-eum was shocked.
The woman pointed at Lee-eum and asked Choi Won-joon who he was. Lee-eum was the one who was curious. Who is she? Is she Choi Won-joon’s ex-girlfriend? She looks quite young? Is this guy a younger woman killer? You thieving bastard.
“This is my cousin. She lives abroad. And this is,”
Ah, she was a cousin.
Lee-eum was feeling sorry for misunderstanding when the woman clapped her hands and greeted him happily.
“I know who you are! You’re the person Oppa is going to marry, right?”
“Nice to meet you!” She tried to kiss him on the cheek like she had just done, but Choi Won-joon grabbed her by the nape of the neck and pulled her away. The woman continued to speak, unfazed.
“Auntie called Mom and bragged about you so much, there was a reason. Your face is so much to the liking of the women in our family. Well, anyone would like a face like that. Do you happen to have a younger brother? An older brother is fine too!”
Lee-eum was taken aback by her aggressive attitude when she asked if she could have his phone number. When he said SNS was fine too, Choi Won-joon grabbed her shoulders, turned her towards the hospital, and warned her.
“If you came to visit, go see Mom. Don’t set your sights on the person who’s going to be my husband.”
Despite Choi Won-joon’s threat, the woman waved from a distance. “Call me if you two break up!” Then Choi Won-joon raised his middle finger, and Lee-eum quickly grabbed his hand and pulled it down, worried that someone might see.